“Visualizing the Abstract”
Brown Sympoisum
Southwestern University
March 4-6, 2025
“Abstract concepts come in many flavors, concepts like mathematics and freedom which prove difficult to express in any physical form, and those like climate change which seem almost impossible to grasp because of their overwhelming complexity. We often find ourselves shutting down trying to understand them and find it difficult to connect on an intellectual or emotional level. And yet, the hard work of those who accept the challenges of exploring abstract ideas allows us to move forward as a society and tackle existential threats.
This symposium features speakers who work with a variety of visual media and ideas to make the intangible more tangible for themselves and for others through storytelling, metaphor, and craft. From metal, wood, and crochet to filmmaking, animation, and imagining worlds, the speakers seek to demystify the abstract to promote greater awareness, understanding and connection.”
Symposium Organizers:
Fumiko Futamura
Professor of Mathematics (John H. Duncan Chair)
Laura Hobgood
Professor of Religion
Co-Chair of the Environmental Studies Program (Elizabeth Root Paden Chair in Religion and Environmental Studies)
Symposium Speakers:
ScienceWriter/Artist Margaret Wertheim; mathematical sculptor George Hart; TED-Ed animators Alex Rosenthal and Jeremiah Dickey; environmental-justice scholar/activist Dr. Jola Ajibade; global food expert Dr. Raj Patel.